It has been known for some time that certain mining operations cannot be safely carried out without first reducing the high concentrations of methane gas. Research efforts have led to various methods for venting the gas ahead of the actual mining operation; a process commonly referred to as degasification. Typically, horizontal holes are drilled into the coal seam to provide vent areas for the methane to escape from the seam and thereby degasify the unmined coal. Such drilling operations occur thousands of feet below ground level with hydraulic powered drilling machines and related equipment which supply the power and water to the drill head. For many reasons it is desirable to reclaim and recirculate the water used in the drilling operation. Water used to flush the cuttings from the drilled hole, however, must first be clarified of methane, as well as the cuttings, before it can be reused.
Not until recently has the industry's interest in harvesting the methane gas for commercial purposes been sufficient to warrant significant research and development in the area to which the present invention is directed. As will be realized from the following disclosure of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the invention provides the industry with a closed system capable of efficiently separating and collecting methane gas from a gas-liquid-solid slurry mixture, while also providing separation of the mineral solids for disposal and reclamation of water for reuse in the drilling operation. No other system known in this art field offers the features and advantages of the present invention.
The present preferred embodiment of the invention is particularly adapted for use in an underground mining environment and the apparatus and operations of the invention are clearly illustrated by this particular application.
However, the adaptation of the present invention to the solution of problems specific to the mining industry is not the only commercial application for the invention. This will become apparent from a reading of the description which follows.